Dave - You said, "I also reminded her that the class was described at the outset as a seminar in which active discussion was an important course requirement." I'm wondering how explicit you made that.
When I teach a seminar I include the following paragraph in the description of the course: "X" is offered in a seminar format. Knowledge is acquired through a shared dialogue among the seminar participants (students, guest speakers, and the instructor.) The readings, writing assignments, and class discussions are the major components of this process. Attendance, preparation for class, and participation in class discussions are essential to the success of the course. Seminar participants expected to come to class prepared, having done the day's reading and prepared their reading log. Each seminar participant is expected to make regular, substantive contributions to the class discussions. For students who are not naturally adept at the discussion process, I use the reading log. The reading log gives students an opportunity to write down a response to or question about the assigned reading before they get to class. If I notice a student who is not participating, I may prompt them by asking them to share something from the reading log. >From time to time, I also use a technique of 1) question, 2) writing, 3)discussion. So, I will pose a question for discussion, then give students time to write or outline a response, and then start the discussion. Again, for some 'quiet' students being able to reflect and write out an answer first makes it easier for them to participate. However, there seems to be another issue. This is not just a 'quiet' student, but rather one who questions the entire seminar process as 'combative'. I sometimes talk about Hegelian Dialectic or the Scientific Method as a way of explaining the importance of disagreement in moving knowledge forward, but I'm not sure if this student would buy that. Good Luck, Steve Houldsworth Webster Univeristy [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
